Creatures of Politics: Media, Message, and the American Presidency

This analysis of campaign messaging and image-making is "a fascinating read and an illuminating look into the complex realm of political rhetoric" (Publishers Weekly).
It's a common complaint that a presidential candidate's style matters more than substance and that the issues have been eclipsed by mass-media-fueled obsession with a candidate's every slip, gaffe, and peccadillo. This book explores political communication in American presidential politics, focusing on what insiders call "mes...